CFS as Neuro-Inflammatory State

Arnett and colleagues at the Australian National University reviewed the evidence supporting a neuroimmunological basis for CFS, providing a strong case for inflammatory and infectious precipitants on the background of neurological changes associated with CFS. They addressed the shortcomings of behavioral therapies and suggested carefully constructed trials of centrally acting anti-inflammatory agents that might quiet the cytokine storm seen in many CFS patients. They concluded, “CFS and related conditions are debilitating and intractable conditions that often strike patients at a time of their life when they would otherwise be at their most economically and socially productive.” (Medical Hypotheses, available online Apr. 5, 2011; print publication July 2011)